Top 10 sommelier pet peeves

It’s not uncommon for sommeliers to get it in the neck from exacting diners, but what of the habits that irk even their fellow sommeliers?

Over several weeks, we made it our mission to quiz any sommelier that crossed our path what their biggest pet peeves were when it comes to the habits of other sommeliers.

Poking about the world of sommellerie, we found that a somm-on-somm battle was being quietly waged within the cellars of top restaurants to raise and maintain standards, with sommeliers just as irritated by the habits of a minority of “bad” sommeliers as the diners that come across them.

Click through for a roundup some of the most common wine service-related gripes spouted by sommeliers, about other sommeliers.

Are you a sommelier? Let us know if you have any more to add in the comments below.

4 Responses to “Top 10 sommelier pet peeves”

Somms who forget they work in hospitality: if your guests want their Meursault chilled to slush, don’t argue. It might make you sad, but what’s important is what makes them happy. It’s not about you. Similarly, Dandy Somms: that goatee doesn’t inspire trust. In fact, the more flash you present, the more your guests will suspect your ego is more important to you than their experience.

I am reminded, when I had a restaurant, of the man who ordered a bottle of Puligny Montrachet, which I served to him straight from my temperature controlled cellar at a tempersture of 12 degrees – just perfect in my view to bring out the full flavour and complexity of the wine, as it might warm up to 15 degrees. But no, it wasn’t cold enough for him so I had to get an ice bucket. Even then it wasn’t cold enough for him – clearly he was in to Puligny Montrachet ice lollies. In many resturants, white wines wre served too cold and red wines too warm. Boiled Claret is also not to be advised.

A friend was on a first date in San Francisco. He ordered a wine. He tasted it and declared it flawed. The wine steward said that it wasn’t. The owner came and said the wine was good. My friend said that he wouldn’t pay for it. They said hey would call thew police. He said “go ahead” They did and the cop came – Italian name. He tasted the wine and declared it good. He told my friend to pay for it or get arrested. M<y friend paid. Somewhere in the whole brouhaha the date slipped away. Let that be a lesson

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